Gemstone Series Series by J. Gordon Smith

“No!” Maurius cried hoarsely as Dorran’s body crumpled to the bloody ground. The lieutenant spun in the crunching gravel path and, with a grin of triumph, he ran toward Maurius – intent upon another kill –The wizard Maurius seeks a mysterious staff named the Gnarled Burner, blamed for the demise of the inquisitive Snowy Elves a thousand years ago... more“No!” Maurius cried hoarsely as Dorran’s body crumpled to the bloody ground. The lieutenant spun in the crunching gravel path and, with a grin of triumph, he ran toward Maurius – intent upon another kill –The wizard Maurius seeks a mysterious staff named the Gnarled Burner, blamed for the demise of the inquisitive Snowy Elves a thousand years ago. What begins as a leisurely academic quest into the snow and ice covered Northern Mountains quickly turns into a sprint through the arctic cold to find the staff before it falls into evil hands.Can Maurius avoid the Rubied Assassins that attack him wherever he goes? Will he prevail against creatures nearly forgotten in myth that eerily haunt him behind every stone and hill? What ancient evil awoke bringing war to the land with the vengeance of old dragons?And what dangerous Destiny lurks in the Diamond he carries, has always carried, yet does not know from where it came?Book Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCFUBT...Author Weblog http://jgordonsmith.com less

The Gemstone Series chronicles the events leading to the Second Great War in the land of Kentoria.Sylanna is a thief hiding from the Rubied Assassins in what she thinks is a quiet and isolated monastery. She quickly discovers plotting monks and a secret forge arming a skeletal army, all preparing for a coming war. She must defeat the high priestess Heklai, save the monastery of Zan, and find the others... moreThe Gemstone Series chronicles the events leading to the Second Great War in the land of Kentoria.Sylanna is a thief hiding from the Rubied Assassins in what she thinks is a quiet and isolated monastery. She quickly discovers plotting monks and a secret forge arming a skeletal army, all preparing for a coming war. She must defeat the high priestess Heklai, save the monastery of Zan, and find the others.Koren is a barbaric warrior that comes to reforge the sword of her father and lead the army of kelvin against Kolomis. Kolomis has amassed a monstrous horde of korlak now threatening the kelvin swamps with swords and ancient deep magic. Can Koren rally the tribes of the swamp in time to repel these vicious invaders?Maurius is a wizard on a quest for a fabled magical staff rumored to have destroyed the snowy elves in the far North. Harassed by assassins and monsters mostly forgotten to myth since the Old War he is hindered at every turn. What he finds in the frozen North offers hope, but also knowledge of the enormity of the task … and of the danger ahead. The Destiny that is his and his family’s.Each story is written from the perspective of the main character and can be read in any order. Each character uncovers their own history and destiny in the coming conflict. Will they survive and protect the world from the horrors they see massing?Books in the Gemstone Series included in this boxed set:The Diamond CoronalThe Black JewelThe Fire Gem<Book 4 in this series (available separately):The Blue CrystalShort Story (Episode # 1.5 in the series, available separately):Sharp Peril less

"Sylanna’s jaw scraped against the rough plastered wall, “You cannot be one of the guardsmen.”“And how did you guess that? Was it my curt accent or my fashionable attire?” His sweaty arm clamped tighter, grinding into her belly, while his other hand held a long dagger against her throat. Sylanna’s mind scattered. She had not even heard him approach!"The talented thief Sylanna flees to a remote monastery after she is attacked by the Rubied Assassins... more"Sylanna’s jaw scraped against the rough plastered wall, “You cannot be one of the guardsmen.”“And how did you guess that? Was it my curt accent or my fashionable attire?” His sweaty arm clamped tighter, grinding into her belly, while his other hand held a long dagger against her throat. Sylanna’s mind scattered. She had not even heard him approach!"The talented thief Sylanna flees to a remote monastery after she is attacked by the Rubied Assassins. But she learns the quiet monastery is anything but silent; pious monks plot against each other, executions and murder are brushed aside, ancient secrets are buried deep under the fortified structure, while the studious leaders supply the brewing War.Will Sylanna survive the monastery and its suspicious monks? Will she escape the Rubied Assassins or will they surprise her behind the monastery’s thick walls and wide moat? Who can be a friend and who is secretly an enemy? Even the Black Jewel, a comforting talisman she has carried since childhood, clutches a dangerous Destiny that unwinds as the menace approaches. Can she stop the evil? less

"Koren stood and slowly turned in the smoky dust from the shattered throne, her swords still ringing from their violence. She growled behind eyes flaming with battlefield ferocity, “We will have no more sitting – We Go To WAR!”"Victory in the violent Kelvin Arena sowed envy and filled the tribal leaders with contempt against the savage warrior Koren. While scarcely believing a human could best the fearsome eight armed kelvin gladiators, they grudgingly gave her blades uneasy respect... more"Koren stood and slowly turned in the smoky dust from the shattered throne, her swords still ringing from their violence. She growled behind eyes flaming with battlefield ferocity, “We will have no more sitting – We Go To WAR!”"Victory in the violent Kelvin Arena sowed envy and filled the tribal leaders with contempt against the savage warrior Koren. While scarcely believing a human could best the fearsome eight armed kelvin gladiators, they grudgingly gave her blades uneasy respect.But now strange enemies wielding ancient magic murder whole villages of the mighty kelvin without a breath of resistance. Koren urgently seeks salvation from the magic with the ancient Sword of Aleron – a broken blade scattered across the dangerous Swamps of Kal at the end of the last Great War – and it must be forged anew in the fires that made it.Attacked by nightmarish creatures and pursued by relentless teams of Rubied Assassins can Koren save the kelvin from slaughter? Will treasonous kelvin leaders betray her when confronted by old emotions, ancient enemies, and a War now unearthed? Can she forge the chaotic tribes into a single force to repel the impending menace? And what are the disturbing visions seething within her Fire Gem – an ancient Destiny she cannot escape? less